What are the Benefits of an E-Commerce Website?

E-commerce websites are growing at an immeasurable rate, so we’ve decided to highlight some of the key benefits to having an online business.

1. No Geographical Limitations

If you have a brick and mortar store, the geographical area that you can service limits you. With e-commerce websites, the world is your oyster. And with m-commerce (shopping via mobile) growing by the day, the sky really is the limit when it comes to customer base.

2. Search Engine Visibility Means More Customers

You can’t rely on face-to-face interation and relationships with an e-commerce website. That’s why online visibility is so important; traffic from search engines is essential. It is not unusual for customers to follow a link in search engine results, and land up on an e-commerce website that they have never heard of.

3. E-commerce Websites Have Lower Costs

One of the biggest benefits of e-commerce is the lower outlay and costs. The saved money gives you flexibility and options, which you can pass on to your customers. Organic search engine traffic, pay-per-click, and social media traffic are just some of the marketing channels that can be cost-effective. Not to mention the obvious saving on a physical store and staff.

4. Easier To Find What You’re Looking For

E-commerce saves shoppers’ time, which is invaluable. It saves time driving to the shop, parking, walking around the shop, queuing, the list is endless. On e-commerce websites, customers can click through intuitive navigation or use a search box to immediately narrow down their product search. Some websites remember customer preferences and shopping lists to even facilitate repeat purchase.

5. More Product Information

Online shops are able to provide as much information as they want on a product. In most cases, there’s a video, product description and now sometimes even virtual reality. Plus, more often than not there is live chat. So a consumer has everything they need quite literally at their fingertips.

6. Personalised Shopping Experience

E-commerce websites allow you to gather data on your customers. This means you can offer them a better a more personalised shopping experience. An example: If you are searching for a certain product on a website, you will automatically be shown listings of other similar products. In addition, you may also receive emails about related products.

7. No Time Limitations

Online is 24 hours a day 7 days a week. E-commerce websites can run all the time. This benefits both the business owner and the customer, especially with people’s lives getting busier and busier

If you would like help with your e-commerce site, call Sarah, our company Director and Marketing expert on 0870 062 8760 or email her at info@aiminternet.co.uk